Reviews, gig announcements and interviews in Northern Ireland

Gigging NI’s Ones to Watch in 2015

2015 could see the continued rise of Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson’s classic ‘Uptown Funk’ and who knows it could go on to make history for the most consecutive weeks at the UK Chart’s number one.

Closer to home, many Northern Irish artists will release albums and EPs (some having done so already) and feature on BBC Radio 1’s forever-great Introducing show showcasing the latest new music. Rigsy will no doubt continue to host Northern Ireland’s gem Across the Line on BBC Radio Ulster bringing live sessions and festival headliner announcements throughout the country.

Before the year kicks into full swing, we thought we’d bring you our picks of 2015. And we’ve managed to round it down to six!

The Shout

When we first heard this Warrenpoint outfit with their latest release WRITE DELETE REPEAT, we were impressed. It’s pure pop rock at it’s finest and with several tracks and EPs down, they could be an act taking off in the near future. With the right track and direction, this band could swell with sounds familiar to fans of All Time Low, Sum 41 and The Script.

Axis Of

This band should need no introduction to anyone familiar to the Northern Irish music scene. The three-piece who ooze North Coast pride have just launched their latest album ‘The Mid Brae Inn’ in the Empire Hall on New Year’s Eve, following the release of their music video ‘Wetsuit’. Known for hard-hitting classics like ‘Lifehammer’ and ‘Port Na Spaniagh’, it’s hard not to see Axis Of making dents throughout the country, mainland and hopefully Europe in 2015.

R51

They are a band who have been around for years now. In their quieter days, they once played at our old Best Served Local showcase in the old Auntie Annies venue. With years of experience now behind them, they released ‘Slowhound’, described by us as “epic swells and crests that blend alternative rock melodies with pop vocals”. They are known for a festival appearance or two so don’t be surprised later on this year, but here’s hoping someone gets on the back of this female-fronted band and escalates their name.

Screaming Eagles

2014 was a big year for the Eagles as they signed to Off Yer Rocka Recordings; a big landmark for any band no matter your background, genre or experience. Their album ‘From the Flames’ released later in the year followed by a deal with Sony for the use of a track on US television. They are determined and know how to put on a show. Looking forward to hearing more from them in 2015.

Bee Mick See

We love him. Why? This Belfast rapper has one hell of a back story and 2015 will see the release of his debut album aptly named ‘The Belfast Yank’. In 2014, he released ‘We Took a Dive’ and collaborated with Yellowbridge for ‘Love’ but live shows are paramount to this incredible live act with hit ‘Single’ always creating a clear buzz. No doubt we will have ‘The Belfast Yank’ on repeat in 2015.

SOAK

Frankly, we couldn’t not mention SOAK. She has had an amazing 2014 signing to Rough Trade Records, reaching over a million plays on Spotify and has success stories in ‘B a NoBoDy’ and ‘Blud’. 2015 has already seen her named on BBC Sound’s of 2015 longlist, announced to play SXSW in 2015 and had her new single ‘Sea Creatures’ exclusively played by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1. Incredible.